In general, a washing machine includes a cabinet having an inlet or opening through which laundry is put into or taken out of the washing machine, a cover at a top side or front of the cabinet to open and close the inlet, a tub within the cabinet, for accommodating water therein, and a drum within the tub. Some washing machines may have a pulsator configured to generate a flow of the water in the tub.
The cabinet is equipped with a rotatable door, and the inlet of the washing machine is opened or closed by the door.
This washing machine is configured to wash laundry through washing, rinsing and water-extracting operations to thereby eliminate dirt or contaminants on clothes, bedclothes, and the like.
Such a washing machine is described in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2009-0071272 (entitled “Washing Machine with Detergent Supply Apparatus,” published on Jul. 1, 2009).
In such a washing machine, however, if the inlet of the washing machine faces upward, noise may be generated due to a free fall of the door which opens or closes the inlet of the washing machine. Furthermore, a user's hand or head might be caught between the door and the cabinet or case, causing an accident and endangering the user's safety.
Moreover, since a relatively large number of components are used for the installation, removal or separation of the door to or from the cabinet, the working time for repair and maintenance of the door be unacceptably large, which needs to be improved.